Non-Fiction Books
An eye-opening account of life in China's orphanages. Kay Bratt vividly details the conditions and realities faced by Chinese orphans in an easy-to-read manner that draws the reader in to the heart-wrenching moments she has experienced in her work to bring hope to these children. -Dan Cruver, cofounder and director of Together for AdoptionWhen her family relocated to rural China in 2003, Kay Bratt was thrust into a new world, one where boys were considered more valuable than girls and poverty and the one-child policy had created an epidemic of abandoned infants. As a volunteer at a local orphanage, Bratt witnessed conditions that were unfathomable to a middle-class mother of two from South Carolina. Based on Bratt's diary of her four years working at the orphanage, Silent Tears offers a searing account of young lives rendered disposable. In the face of an implacable system, Bratt found ways to work within (and around) the rules to make a better future for the children, whom she came to love. Her story balances the sadness and struggles of life in the orphanage with moments of joy, optimism, faith, and victory. It is the story of hundreds of children-and one woman who never planned on becoming a hero but became one anyway.
Have you ever wanted to just sell everything and move abroad? Trade the rat race for a simpler pace of life? That’s exactly what Kay Bratt and her husband wanted to do but before they made that final decision, they took a boots-on-the-ground tour of Panama, Central America. At their meeting point in Panama City, they join a group of other like-minded couples and hit the road. From the busy city streets to the wide open country and then along the enticing coast, they spend two weeks experiencing the culture and soaking in the beauty of the land as they determine if Panama is calling to them. The Pursuit of Panama is not a how-to book or any sort of guide that can take you through the steps of moving overseas. However, if you’ve thought of leaving everything behind for a simpler life and want a snapshot of what two weeks in Panama can be like—and a peek at the author’s thoughts about the possibility of living in each town along her journey—then I invite you to join the Bratts for a once in lifetime adventure with The Pursuit of Panama.
Do dogs go to heaven? Do dogs have souls? Both are common questions, especially among those who’ve lost furry family members and can’t bear the thought of never seeing them again. Kay Bratt explores these ideas in All (my) Dogs Go to Heaven . Touching on relevant anecdotes, she chronicles her tumultuous past— including a traveling childhood and a near decade of domestic abuse— revealing how her beloved pets helped her cope, and instilled hope for better days ahead. Interspersed within this memoir are short essays from real people who have experienced signs from their departed pets as proof that they are still around in spirit. Included in the back of the book is a Grief Guide to help get us through those first devastating days after our loss. Insightful and fascinating, Kay Bratt has ultimately given us a message of hope with All (my) Dogs Go to Heaven. -Judy Morgan, Founder of Yorkie Rescue of the Carolinas